With the work from home trend becoming a long term thing and a new normal for many people across the globe, I've seen a lot of articles pop up with tips and tricks for working from home (WFH). Although I am a big believer in the WFH lifestyle, a lot of the guidelines out there about working from home tend to focus overwhelmingly on being productive rather than on maintaining balance. I spend about 90% of my time working from home as a PhD student and I've tried just about every WFH tip out there over the past 3-4 years! Over time, what I've realized is that, for me, one of the best things about being able to work from home is the ability to embrace balance and health - rather than constantly trying to maintain motivation! So, here are my tips for working from home - with a self-compassion spin :)
Relax your routine. While you might aspire to have the same 9-5 type hours as you would working from an office, working from home is a totally new normal that requires time to get used to! I'm fortunate enough to be able to control the hours I work as long as I get my work done which means that, sometimes, if I don't feel motivated in the mornings, I'll work at night - or vice versa. Right now, in the summer, I prefer spending a couple of hours a day outside and swap those for hours spent working in the evening. I realize a lot of people who are working from home are still be tied to a 9-5 style workday so it may not be possible to rearrange your hours a whole lot - but you can still try and relax your routine when it comes to the types of tasks you do or the meetings you take. If you find virtual meetings exhausting maybe try and schedule them for a day/time when you know you'll feel more well-rested or if you normally tackle emails first thing in the morning and simply don't feel ready for them one morning, go with the flow and tackle them at a later time. Oftentimes, I think we have a tendency to want to follow a clear, rigid schedule but our bodies and minds don't always work like that and it's especially important to embrace those ups and downs amidst the changing environment we're now facing.
Work somewhere you want to be. This goes hand in hand with the point above about going with the flow! Overwhelmingly we're told to be stricter with our schedules and to create a space that is designated for work so that we'll be more motivated and productive. While I agree that there are some tasks that require focus and need a dedicated work space, in reality, when I worked in an office, I often still spent time in conference rooms, on couches, or even on outdoor patios changing up my space to try and spice up what can otherwise be a long, boring workday. I do the same thing now while working from home. While it's true that working from your bed probably isn't the best idea - that doesn't mean you have to be chained to a designated work desk! During my work days I usually switch up my location at least 2-3 times. Sometimes, I prefer working at the kitchen table, other times I'm lazing about on the couch or working on the floor - wherever strikes my fancy that day. I find that listening to my own mind and working from where I want to be in the moment usually makes me a happier worker.
Find your music. Working from home during quarantine kind of feels like a never-ending work fest sometimes when there's nowhere to go, you go to sleep after work, and just repeat the whole thing over again. Whenever I'm feeling really blah and frustrated by the monotony, I play music to try to get me out of my funk. It can be whatever motivates you!
Get a bit of sunshine. This one is self-explanatory, but even if you aren't able to go outside (and maybe you don't want to because going outside can be super stressful at this time!) it's still worth it to spend a little bit of time in the sunshine - whether that's over lunch or while you're responding to 1000000 emails :) The sun always does wonders for my mood if I'm feeling down!
Hydrate. Working from home + boredom = LOTS of snacking (at least for me!). To try to curb this, I focus on drinking water (or if I'm feeling fun, a sparkling water + a splash of juice) rather than snacking. This helps to curb all my snacking, gives me something to focus on when I'm bored with my work, and is a whole lot healthier than my old granola bars + chips + anything available in the fridge habit :)
Take care of yourself before you take care of others. This is a piece of advice that I'm still in the process of integrating into my own life because it's hard to remember, yet so important! I have a really bad habit of rolling out of bed and tackling work first thing in the morning, but I've realized that that leaves me extremely frustrated and irritable whenever I run into any work-related roadblocks. Taking care of myself makes me feel better prepared for taking on any stressful roadblocks work might throw at me. P.S. taking care of yourself can mean anything you need. For me, most days involve a workout & a shower plus some time spent tidying up my apartment. Taking care of my space and feeling clean before tackling work both make me feel more capable and ready for the day.
Be kind to yourself. This might seem like a simple statement but it is SO hard to remember! We are harsher on ourselves than we are on anyone else. Remember that you are adjusting to a new normal and it takes time to get used to. Remind yourself that you are NOT a machine so expecting yourself to be motivated and productive all day every day is unrealistic and completely unsustainable. You are always changing, your situation is changing, and you are doing the best that you can - so be kind to yourself ♥
Hope you all are staying healthy out there and practicing self-love ♥
